My Future's So Bright
by Inexhaustible Source of Magic
Summary: It's a few years after the gang graduates from McKinley.  They go their separate ways and some lose touch with each other.  However, when Kurt and Blaine invite everyone to a reunion at their apartment, they all get to know each other all over again.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Hey, so…this is my first Glee fic. I don't know what everyone's head cannons are with these characters so I'm basing their future on either what I think or the seemingly most common beliefs on Tumblr. I welcome any suggestions about the characters. Thank you all!

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><p>Rachel rang the buzzer once more, letting the mechanical drown ring up the stairs and into the apartment, probably annoying the residents. She finally released the button and bounced back and forth on the balls of her feet. Despite the fact that it was April, New York didn't let up when it came to bitter winds whipping through the small streets and wide corners.<p>

She had turned a full circle when a familiar voice came through the intercom. "Come in!" She smiled and opened the door locked a minute previously. She took the stairs two at a time, eager to see him after the long absence. She had seen this stairwell multiple times since she moved to the Big Apple but every time she ran up it she became excited and enthusiastic, like a teenager again.

When she finally reached the fifth floor, she took the hallway down to the door with a golden 542 on it. She rapped on it twice, taking off her hat and scarf as she did. Finally, the door opened and she was greeted by a familiar face. "Kurt!" She squealed and jumped into his arms. He laughed and swung her around, just as excited to see his old friend. It wasn't as if they hadn't seen each other in the past few years since they moved here. Every week they had met up for coffee and lunch, chatting about the old days and what the new ones had brought. Sometimes Blaine would join them but it was usually just the two of them, which neither of them minded.

"Oh, I've missed you!" She said, falling back to the ground gracefully. "The past few weeks have been so boring without you to share them with."

Kurt smiled and rolled his eyes. "Well, my world has been just as boring without you running in and meddling with everything. I'm sorry I've had to cancel the past two weeks. With the show and Kate, Blaine and I have both been frazzled."

"I understand, completely," Rachel assured him, even though she didn't have the slightest clue. She was working in a show, of course, but she had no idea what being a parent felt like. Kurt and Blaine had seemed up to the challenge but now, seeing the mess the apartment was in, she understood just how difficult it must be.

"Everyone should arrive in about an hour," Kurt reminded her. "If you could help clean up, that would be great."

Rachel nodded. "Always willing to help," she said. She set to work alphabetizing the parenting magazines sprawled over the coffee table. "Where's Blaine?" She inquired, finally noticing his absence.

"He's in the other room, trying to get Katy to bed," Kurt told her, closing the fridge behind him and producing two bottles of Diet Coke.

"Oh, you can't possibly think she'll sleep with all the noise we're going to make. I have a karaoke sing along CD all made up and…"

But Kurt cut her off, chucking. "Why am I not surprised?" He said under his breath. "Kate's the heaviest sleeper I've ever seen. She could sleep through a 40 piece orchestra if she wanted to. It's getting to sleep that's the problem."

Now that he mentioned it, Rachel could now see the dark circles under his eyes. He and Blaine must've had some long nights with their daughter.

"How's Finn doing?" Kurt asked, changing the subject. "I know you said over the phone that he wasn't coming? I thought he moved out here a couple of years after you did?"

Rachel shook her head and began to fold the many blankets sprawled over the couch. Kurt realized it was a touchy subject for her and let the room fall into a lengthy, but not entirely uncomfortable silence.

When Rachel had gotten into NYADA all those years ago, she thought the hardest part had been coming to New York alone without Kurt, her best duet partner, by her side. But he had come a year later, Blaine in tow, making a name for himself almost immediately. It had been Finns absence, she realized, that had really brought her down. When the acceptance letter had come in the mail, he had acted so thrilled for her but they had both been thinking the same thing.

Finn continued his job at Burt's garage, working hard and saving up. However, it had been eight years since Rachel had left Ohio and he still showed no signs of leaving. On their tri-weekly video chat, Rachel had mentioned the party at Kurt and Blaine's flat but he had told her there was no way he could make it. With business being slow and him going to the community college, they just didn't have the money. It was hard; never seeing him in person, but Rachel couldn't help but continue the relationship. She loved him and she wasn't sure what she would do if they broke up.

This thought made her head ache so she stood up quickly and placed the folded blankets on the edge of the couch. Kurt had finally pushed the old play pen in to its collapsible square and shoved it into the closet. "It'll be a miracle if we ever get it back up." He said, stretching over.

Suddenly, they heard a crash from the other room and a muttered groan. Kurt closed the closet door and walked in. Blaine was rocking Katy in his arms, bouncing her back and forth in a soothing motion. The lamp had toppled onto the floor, lying haphazardly in the carpet. Katy was sobbing quietly in his arms. Blaine hadn't seen his husband enter the room and was still singing softly to his daughter, rolling into another chorus of a slowed down version of Poker Face.

"Blaine?" Kurt asked quietly, stepping into the dark room.

"I'm sorry," Blaine said immediately, as if he saw this coming. "I just…I thought she'd like some movement and…I'd already been singing to her. I wasn't looking where I was going and…the stupid lamp!" Blaine's tone had that of a preschooler who was ready for a nap. His eyes were dead and tired and he was swaying back and forth with Katy.

"Blaine, it's okay," Kurt said, soothingly. "It's okay." He knelt down to the pick up the fallen lamp and placed it back on the shelf, plugging it back in. The room was once again bathed in a soft glow, stars being illuminated on the ceiling.

Rachel stuck her head through the door. "I'm sorry," she said, looking over the sight. "D-do you want me to try?" She said, reaching her hand out to Blaine and his daughter. He looked over at Kurt and shrugged.

"Sure," he said. "Anything to lie down." Rachel laughed and took the child from him. She was sweet and small, her crying breath shaking in her throat. Rachel began to continue Blaine's back and forth motion. "You can go into the other room, Kurt," she assured him. "We're fine!"

Blaine had already retreated onto the couch and Kurt was hovering in the doorway, obviously unsure where he should be. "Okay," he said, through it was obvious he wasn't sure. "I-we like to sing to her…it's the only that that seems to calm her down."

"I figured," she said smiling. "I just hope I can meet your high vocal standards."

Kurt couldn't help but roll his eyes. "I have no doubt you can exceed it."

Rachel extended her arms slightly as Kurt exited into the other room with Blaine in order to look into Kate's small face. It was round and petite. She had a small patch of black hair on her head. Her light hazel eyes stared at Rachel, a slightly confused expression on her little face, seeing as she'd never seen Rachel before today.

Rachel smiled at the beautiful child and took a breath. She slowly waded into the soft beginning of P!nks Glitter in the Air. Kate didn't show any signs of sleeping but she didn't cry again. Kurt came back in eventually, smiling at the happy sight. "I've always liked that song," he said, taking his daughter back into his arms.

Rachel wasn't surprised. "Wanna sing a duet?" She asked.

"I don't think we'll need to," Kurt said, walking back to the small crib. He placed Kate, now fast asleep, into the bed and draped a small blanket over her. "We're all in the clear," he whispered.

"I thought you said she could sleep through anything? Why are you whispering?" She laughed, walking towards the door.

"I don't want to risk it," Kurt said and tip toed out of the door.

They finally walked into the main living room and Kurt closed the door behind them with a click. Blaine was sprawled out on the couch, his eyes closed peacefully. "Is he asleep?" Rachel whispered, leaning over to look at him.

"No," Blaine muttered, his eyes fluttering open.

Kurt smiled and sat on the end of the couch, letting Blaine's feet rest in his lap. Rachel perched herself on the arm of the couch. "How long until-?"

As if on cue, the buzzer rang from downstairs. "I think they're here."

"Did they all come together?" Rachel asked standing.

Blaine shook his head and rubbed his eye with the heel of his hand. "It's probably only one group, they'll trickle in throughout the night."

"Alright," Kurt said, his finger hovering over the intercom button. "Here we go!"


	2. Chapter 2

Quinn smoothed her pretty denim skirt against her legs and leaned her head against the side door window. The neon lights of New York City flashed by the cabs window as it zipped through the streets. The radio in the front was spouting some indie pop song that she could only imagine singing in Glee club…all those years ago. She hadn't really thought about those times since school had ended but the invitation to this reunion, of sorts, had caused all those mixed memories to come flooding back.

She hadn't talked to everyone since graduation, except Noah. She wasn't even sure how they'd gotten her number. But the fact was they had. And now she was taking a cab through Times Square to her old friend's apartment.

Suddenly, the cabbie turned around. "Mind if I pick up another customer? I'll drop you off first." Quinn blinked, unsure of what to say.

"Uhh, sure," she said.

He merged into the far lane and stopped next to a guy. Quinn peeked out the window and shrunk back into her seat. It couldn't be. Out of all the guys in New York, the cab just had to pick him up. "Where you heading?"

Puck swung into the other side of the cab and Quinn's saw his eyes widen when he saw her. "Quinn?" He asked.

"Hey," she said, raising her hand in greeting.

"Man I haven't seen you in forever," he lamented, his dark eyes taking in her dark skirt and light brown shirt. She'd let her hair grow out and it now hung down her back in a tight French braid. Her nails were left unpolished and she drummed them impatiently on her knee.

"I saw you just last week when we went to visit Beth," she said, rolling her eyes.

"God, and they say sarcasm is the first thing to go," Puck muttered.

"Where too?" The cabbie nearly shouted, squinting through the rearview mirror at the former couple.

"Oh, uhh, same place as me," Quinn stuttered, taken aback. The driver looked confused for a second but didn't say anything.

"So, what are you doing now days," Noah asked, looking over at her. Quinn didn't meet his glance; she didn't want to.

Ever since they'd graduated, she wanted to steer clear of all these memories. She looked back at high school as a learning period; a time to make mistakes and discover who you really was. Not that she thought Beth had been a mistake. With those thoughts came images of her with her pink hair and nose rings…those were mistakes. She had learned a great deal in those years. She looked back on the memories in embarrassment now, thinking about how she treated people; how she treated herself.

"Do you still keep in touch with Shelby?" Quinn asked, out of nowhere. True they had just seen her last week, but she and Puck hadn't spoken much. Their relationship, if there even was one, looked icy to Quinn.

After Shelby had found out about Quinn's deluded attempts to get Beth back for herself, she wasn't allowed to see Beth anymore. Shelby allowed Puck's company but he'd lessened his romantic pursuits. Finally, around a year ago, he convinced Shelby to arrange monthly reunions between him, Quinn and Beth. These were special times for Quinn.

Puck casted his eyes downward and studied the floor of the cab. "I've been trying to talk to her. She's pretty stressed out, though. With Beth going to school and her looking for work…she's got a lot on her plate…I don't want to bother her." Quinn nodded, understanding. She was currently living in Connecticut, keeping a simple job and apartment by herself near Yale's campus. It was lonely sometimes but she didn't mind as much as she used to. Shelby was living in southern New York, making it an easy stop for Quinn.

Puck was currently in New York as well, working in manual labor at a shipping company. Packing and unpacking truck after truck seemed tedious but he couldn't say he hated it. It paid well, which was more to be said for his pool cleaning business.

Before they knew it, the cab pulled up in front of a moderately large apartment building. Quinn thumbed through her wallet and Puck did the same. They stood beside each other and watched the cab screech on to its next customer. Quinn turned around and rubbed her arms against the cold. Puck smiled at her and walked forward toward the intercom button.

A minute later, Quinn found Rachel wrapping her arms around her. "Oh Quinn!" She squealed. She couldn't help but feel nostalgic at the sound of Rachel's voice.

"Hey Rachel," she said, rubbing her shoulder. "How are you doing?"

"Great. I'm doing great! What about you?" Quinn replied, already getting a handle on how awkward this night promised to be.

"Fabulous! I've got three auditions set up over the month and really think I have a chance to beat out the competition."

Quinn smiled and looked over at Puck, who stood uncomfortably by the door. Quinn saw Kurt and Blaine over Rachel's shoulder standing next to each other by the couch. She'd heard they got married and the glint from the rings on their fingers confirmed it. They wouldn't normally have conversed with Puck and seemed like that hadn't changed over the years.

An uneasy silence passed between the five of them. Rachel, being the ice breaker that she was, inquired about how Quinn was doing in college and if she was enjoying the drama program. The truth was Quinn loved Yale. Her grades were descent and she'd made a number of friends.

As Rachel forced Quinn to elaborate, another buzz came from downstairs. "Ohh, who is it?" Rachel asked, her over excitement filling the room.

Blaine strode forward to the door and pulled it open. Standing in the hallway were Mercedes and Sam, clad in now snow dusted scarves and hats.


End file.
